Family News from Laridian

Our regular readers know that Laridian currently employs just two full-time programmers: me (Craig) and Jeff Wheeler. We have several part-time employees doing marketing and technical support work, but Jeff and I are the only full-timers. Jeff and I go way back, first working together in 1985. Except for nine months in 1988-89 when I left to join Parsons Technology and before Jeff joined me there, we’ve worked together ever since then.

I want you to know that in November of last year, Jeff was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. His prognosis is good, but the cancer is aggressive and calls for aggressive treatment. He’s had two surgeries, and recently began about an eighteen-week regimen of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Those of us who have had cancer victims in our families know that treatments and responses vary. However, during this period, it is expected that Jeff will go through a three-week cycle of nausea, then fatigue, then a brief period of feeling good before the cycle of treatment begins again.

Needless to say, we all at Laridian covet your prayers for the treatment to be productive and the side-effects to be tolerable.

Additionally, I want you to know how this affects our work at Laridian. Laridian is a small company and that is intentional. In an article in Christian Computing Magazine ten years ago we explained how our history of working for a huge, publicly-traded software company motivated us to create something different when we founded Laridian. We wanted to be small and stay small. One of the results of meeting that goal is that when one of us is operating at less than 100%, it affects all of us. It also affects our ability to meet our customers’ expectations. So we, too, would appreciate your prayers and patience during this period.

Of course, we all have troubles in this life. Your family has perhaps gone through a lot worse at one time or another. Jeff knows his particular problems aren’t any bigger than what you have experienced or might be currently experiencing. But we thought it was important for you to know what’s going on here so you will have some additional insight into how this situation may affect the work we do for you here at Laridian.

Again, thank you always for your prayers. It is our pleasure to be able to serve you through the work we do.

65 Responses

Both my wife and I are daily users of PocketBible and truly appreciate all that you do to provide for us with excellent software and resources. Jeff, our hearts go out to you and we will daily lift you up in prayer asking the Lord for complete healing and peace within your heart. We will also lift up your family in prayer. Many blessings to you, your family, and the Laridian family.

Craig,
Thanks for being open and direct about Jeff’s health needs so that I can pray specifically for Jeff’s treatment to be fully effective with minimal side effects, for his family, for all the medical personnel involved to be used of God and see His work of grace, and for you and the staff at Laridian to be sustained by God as well.
As a health care chaplain who has used your products extensively for many years, I appreciate the impact your company has had in making the use and study of God’s Word that much more accessible in front line ministry.
May Jeff, you, and your company continue to prosper in God’s work.
John

Laridian,
Thank you for sharing your struggles, and for the privilege of praying for you. I hope you’ll continue to let us know how we can help.

Heavenly Father,
Please bring healing and strength to Jeff that goes beyond the natural man. Abba Father, please impart peace that surpasses understanding to Jeff, his family, and Laridian in this difficult hour. Above all, Father, order their steps through this valley, and be glorified through them. In Yeshua’s name, I pray. Amen.

Craig and Jeff – I have ju this moment read your later blog entry and am saddened with this news for Jeff. Jeff, be of continuing great courage. Over the next eighteen weeks, almost to the start of your summer, there will probably e several times when you are challenged with the chemotherapy.

Be of good courage. This treatment may ravage your body but we all need encouragement, and that’s what you need to protect your spirit. That’s what I will be praying for – that all across thi wonderful part of our great God’s creation, there will be those whom your Laridian work has blessed that will be upholding you generously and regularly in prayer.

Perhaps whilst the chemotherapy is happening, you will know deeply that there is also a Holy spiritual therapy contemporaneously happening.

God bless you brother

Wayne

Perth, Wetern Australia

(Yes, Laridian Bible products have, and continue to be a blessing in my life!)

Thanks for letting us know about Jeff’s diagnosis. We will be praying for him and his family as he travels this next leg of his journey. We’ll also be praying for Craig and the rest of the Laridian team as you continue to honor God by making these marvelous products available. PocketBible has been used to share Christ on many many occasions and I know the rewards will flow back to your team who have worked so diligently to make God’s word readily accessible.
Bill

Thanks for treating us like family, many of us certainly feel that way about you — extended as it may be. My prayers are for you both, and for your families during a time that probably has more stress than seems helpful. Yet, this is the exact kind of time where God’s peace will be most obvious.

I have nothing to offer you except the truth that Jesus is your healing. Everything that He is right now, so are you. The Head will not let His body suffer because He is perfect and so are you. And I know He wants you to heal. In fact, He did that 2000 years ago: He took your cancer 2000 years ago on His body to the Cross. What’s the point of being hung on the cross for nothing, right? He has forgiven ALL of your sins long before you were born and He’s overpaid everything so that you could realize there is no sickness formed against you shall prosper and that you could take the benefit of His work.

I can’t say that you should do this or that because really there is none. Your part is only to believe and receive that healing. I don’t know if you are into Jesus very much in your life or not, but I should tell you that JESUS is everything to your answers. Forgive me, but I hardly see you guys mentioning Jesus. You (and most commentators) did say God on most replies, but there is no Jesus. I’d love to see those who actually sell Holy Bible (and its applications for that matter) don’t just sell but talk about Jesus and are known nothing but Christ-centered believers.

God loves you, Brother Jeff, and wants you to know that you are already healed by His stripes. And this is no joke. Thank you for providing a good application for His ministry. Hallelujah! Praise Jesus.

You guys do a great job and I love your products. My prayers are with you and as a fellow programmer I understand the the effort it takes to roll out quality products. You guys truly roll out great products!

On a practical front, you guys still need to eat and Jeff surely doesn’t need to be worrying about money as he recovers. I, for one, would be happy to pre-order, and pre-pay for, the Android version of Pocket Bible, trusting that Jeff will recover and it will be released. Think of it as a practical exercise in faith: I have faith in God to heal Jeff and faith in Craig and Jeff to continue to take Laridian forward, and I’m prepared to act on that faith with some money. I’ll bet I’M not alone in that either. Pre-ordering with pre-payment is not unknown in other areas, such as DVD sales, albeit with better defined release dates! So, would you consider such a program?

That’s a great idea but it has some practical problems. Our agreements with the credit card companies prevent us from charging your card without delivering a product. There’s some period of time — I think it’s 30 days — during which we must ship or issue a refund. We could set up a system to collect your card information then charge it when we ship, but that would take a lot of effort (that could be spent writing Java code) and wouldn’t produce any cash in the near-term, which was your goal.

Alternately, we could set up a donation system, but that has always seemed somewhat deceptive to us. There are already people who think of us as a “Christian organization” and more of a “ministry” than a “business” and we don’t want to encourage people to think of us as a ministry when we’re really a business.

In the end, if you want to send us money, the best thing is to buy something. That’s a win-win for both us and you. You get a useful product and we get some income. If you already own everything you want, consider purchasing one of our CD-ROM or USB Flash Drive products for a friend. Then it’s a win-win-win.

I hope this all doesn’t sound callous at a time like this. We do appreciate both your interest in our success AND your prayers for Jeff.

May God continue to Bless Jeff and you, and please know Jeff will be in our prayers.

May I offer a couple of suggestions —
I too would be willing to pay for the Android version prior to release. (as others have suggested) If the credit cards are really the issue, then how about offering a gift card? That is extremely easy to set up and would not be tied to a specific product. It would allow you to bill to the current system, and then be used when products are delivered.

Additionally, I would be willing to assist writing some code, or BETA test, or assist in anyway possible, at no cost. Perhaps others would be willing to provide assistance with webpage development, etc?

My family has been affected by Cancer, (Father, Mother, and Wife) Perhaps this is a way I can return some of the blessings received.

I’m not convinced the number of people who would buy gift cards in anticipation of us shipping the Android product is large enough to justify the expense of setting up a gift card program, both in terms of the actual cost of the cards but also in the cost of integrating the processing of gift cards into our system. If you know more about this than I do, feel free to include that in your email.

As most have said my life too has been touched by cancers that friends have had, our most current touch with disease is a friend from a group that we are in that is like family. He has brain cancer. He got good and bad news this week too. His current tumor is responding to treatment, the bad news they have found another one. Sigh, but he too is living life to the fullest, and has been an encouragement to those around him.

Please take care of yourselves and your families.

I do look forward to the android version when you have it ready having had it on my PalmTX, a windows phone,and a blackberry, I am spoiled with your product and it is well worth the wait.

I am so sorry to read of your plight, bro. Jeff. I pray that you might find comfort, hope and strength in God’s Holy Word. Here are two verses that have often ministered to me as I go through the vicissitudes of life, may they do the same for you.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 (NKJV)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

I know from personal experience that this is not the easiest of times. I will keep you my daily prayers. May the the Lord’s blessing be upon you abundantly (Num. 6:24-26).

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

And as for you, Craig, I quote, “There are already people who think of us as a “Christian organization” and more of a “ministry” than a “business” and we don’t want to encourage people to think of us as a ministry when we’re really a business.”

It’s a sad thing you don’t have any idea that you are in fact in a ministry also. Perhaps you do not realize about it, but your business is your ministry as well. I feel sorry for those who have bought your software because you said so. Some of them may be using your products to minister others, so whether you like it or not, you are in the ministry. Let go your pride and maybe you will realize it’s God who blesses you. My advice is that you don’t need to say something hurting like that. If you are only for business, no need to say you are not into ministry. You don’t have to ask them whether it is okay to sell Quran or not. The more, the merrier. The fact that you did ask that because you knew your customers were Christians. They supported you because they knew somehow God took part in your application for many. And now you take them down because everything is just business. Christianity is about relationship and support. If only business, I don’t suppose they want to pray for Jeff. There are a lot of people out there suffering maybe the worst and they too need people to care for. So you think before you say.

I actually agree with a lot of what you’re saying. But let me make some distinctions here and see if that will help.

People ask if we are a “Christian organization”. My answer is that the only “Christian organization” is the church. Laridian is not a church.

If Laridian was a church, the owners of the company (Jim VanDuzer, Jeff and I) would be its elders. We would have obligations toward our employees with respect to their spiritual growth. We would be obligated to evaluate their belief system against a biblical standard before hiring them. We would have to personally approve the contents of everything we publish. In practical terms, it means very little of what we publish would be publishable, because it all varies a little bit from what at least one of us owners believe.

Is Laridian an organization OF Christians? You might think this is an easy question to answer, but it’s not. With one exception, each of our employees attends a different church. You may or may not agree with the teachings of each of those churches. If you quizzed our employees you may or may not agree that they are Christian, depending on what that means to you. (I don’t have any particular employees in mind; I’m just saying that there are many opinions as to what it means to be a “Christian”.)

Is Laridian a ministry? A “ministry” is an organization or activity that attends to the needs of others. One could make the case that that is what we do, but I would argue that we are at best a meta-ministry. We don’t actively teach people or prepare them for any particular work. We are a supplier of materials to people who do such things.

I don’t so much mind being called a “ministry” as much as I mind what that implies to people. For example, if we are a Christian ministry, then we should carefully vet all of our materials. The problem is that no two Christians agree on what makes a Bible an accurate translation or what makes a reference book not heretical. What we try to do is publish popular, mainstream Bibles and reference materials from known and respected scholars. We leave it to our customers to decide which ones to buy and which ones to use in their ministry.

More examples: If Laridian is a Christian ministry, then should we be a for-profit company? Should we take a salary? Should we publicly disclose our financial statements for accountability? Should we be under the authority of a church? Should we distribute our products through the Apple? (Some Christians have a problem with some of Apple’s policies.) Should we develop software for Android? (Some Christians have a problem with some of Google’s policies.) For Windows? (Some Christians have a problem with some of Microsoft’s policies.) Should we develop software at all? Should we not all be foreign missionaries instead?

In the end, Laridian is a privately held, Iowa corporation that develops and sells Bible-related software primarily for mobile computing devices. This doesn’t mean that it’s not God who gives us success, nor that it isn’t God who is glorified in what we do. It just means that we’re not a church, we’re not your pastors, and we’re not your Sunday School teachers. We’re not even the guy who vacuums and dusts the facilities on Monday morning.

As a result, you can’t expect from us what you expect from your church or the people who work there. For example, we could (but we’re not going to) decide to publish the Koran for use in PocketBible. If your pastor, however, started preaching from the Koran, you would have a problem. We could (and we currently are) spin off our technology for use in non-Christian, non-biblical applications (not anti-biblical, just non-biblical). If your elders started using your Sunday morning worship time to teach accounting or mechanical engineering, you would have a problem.

That’s all we mean. Jeff and I are, in fact, Christians. We do, in fact, appreciate it when you pray for our company in general and for Jeff’s health in particular. We believe in the power of those prayers and that’s why we sought them out through this post. At the same time, Jeff’s situation has a practical impact on our business, and that’s one of the reasons we posted this message.

To put it back in context, we hesitate to set up some kind of donation button on our site because we don’t want to convey to people that we are a donation-based, non-profit, Christian ministry organization. We feel that would be deceptive. The fact is that we don’t rely on donations for our support, but rather on commercial transactions in which you purchase the products we create. Believe it or not, there are some Bible software companies out there who present themselves as Christian ministries in an effort to increase their sales and so that they can leverage tax laws to maximize their profits. We think this is manipulative and plays on the ignorance and guilability of a certain type of Christian and misrepresents what these companies really are.

I realize this is more than you asked for and I hope it’s not too overwhelming. We agree that our work ministers to others. Our intention in making the distinction between business and ministry was so that we would not be deceiving anyone into treating us like their church with respect to feeling an obligation to give charitably to us. That’s why my advice to such people has been to simply buy something instead of trying to concoct a way to donate.

Craig, a spot on and sensitively written reply to Tabitha. Having such clear distinctions is really helpful and it is obvious to me you are glorifying God by bringing excellence to your business.
On a separate note, I’m thrilled that the internet, which is so full of junk and filth, can help us to pray for Jeff, whom I have never met.
Keep up the good work guys. Rest well Jeff and the Lord be with you.

Greetings from Scotland
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, … The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: … Ps 34:6-8

Jeff, may you know the Lord’s healing touch

And thank you all for your dedication in providing superb software that we so greatly enjoy. Looking forward to the Laridian Android updates.

Having been a Laridian customer for about the last 10 years. I value your products and am impressed with your skills as software engineers and businessmen. Please know that I am praying for Jeff’s health and the health of your company. I am a small businessman also and covet the prayers of fellow Christians for God’s blessings on my, my family and my business. Looking forward to the release of your Android based software.

Jeff,
May you feel His presence and His healing touch in the days and weeks ahead. May it be very real and very powerful and may you be able to continue to do His will on this earth!

Craig & Jeff, I use Laridian products every day, Bibles, commentaries, etc., but the absolutely most powerful one for me has been Prayer Partner. It really helps me to keep focused in my prayer life and manage a growing list of people and needs that would never be possible otherwise. So, thank you very much. (And now there is one more great need added to my list.)

I am so very sorry to hear of Jeff’s diagnosis. I am a programmer myself with 20 years of experiance. With Jeff having these problems, I know that your production will run more slowly. I would be very glad to volunteer some time to help out. I don’t have a lot of time but I could help if you need.

So sorry to hear of your sickness Jeff. I will certainly keep you and your family in my prayers. Asking for strength and patience and for your every need to be supplied over the next few months and for full recovery of health. May Christ be especially near you.

Lardian software has blessed my life for years.
I’ve been in the computer business for 36 years and I know quality software is rare. You have always provided quality software, and equally as important, quality support for your products.
Thank you.

Thanks for the distinction, Craig. You are a software company who just happens to develop software for Christians and churches. As a web programmer, I’ve developed some sites for churches that enabled me to eat, and others who wished me with “go and be well fed.”

I do appreciate this blog and your openness toward Laridian. As Christians are probably the common thread of your customers, it makes sense to ask for prayers, as well as some understanding why Android and updates might take longer than anticipated.

I will be praying for you, and sharing with others to pray for Jeff’s health!

Father we ask that you grant Jeff healing and that he may be strengthened in the inner man. We pray for your gracious love that is our life and our stability to embrace him and his family. Your love for us is our stability, and please pour that into Jeff’s heart mind and body. Grant us healing for Your Glory and his joy.

Dear Craig & Jeff,
Thank you for the wonderful Bible software you have made available for so many years. My first version was MyBible 1.0, and I sincerely appreciate your wonderful improvements and expanded offerings over the years. I use MyBible every day on my Palm TX! And, I’ll soon be switching to an Android phone, so I’m looking forward to the release of the version for Android too.

I join with your prayers, and the prayers of others for Jeff.
Father, in the name of Jesus and because of his blood shed for us, I ask you to minister life, health, strength and wholeness to Jeff’s body from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. Amen.

I’ve been a long-time user of PocketBible (though I’m now on the Windows Phone 7 platform and unable to continue using your fine product) and I just wanted to add my appreciation for the excellent work you’ve done in providing a much needed set of tools for the mobile user out here. Our prayers are with you all, and I’m certain that God is going to show up and show off in this situation. It was all done at the Cross…..

Praying for you Jeff, family and friend. A very long time user of the PocketBible product from its earliest days and a very strong supporter when I was running the pocketPCpassion website. I still speak at various events for Microsoft and up until Windows Phone 7, I always took great pride showing off the mobile technology to my audiences with the way I personally used PocketBible on it. I loved the way that Laridian has evolved over time and truly am grateful for your product. You can be assured that if you ever are able to make a Windows Phone 7 product I will be all over it but in the meantime my God bless you in your efforts as you provide the rest of the mobile world with God’s Word.

I, too, will be praying for Jeff’s recovery. God has given his servants both the Great Physician and human physicians to aid in healing.

I have been a computer developer for many years, and if I could help speed the coding process for the Android, I would–I used to tell my boss that adding developers to a project in trouble is like expecting nine women to make a baby in a month.

I await the Android version patiently, hoping that my Palm Centro can survive until then.
In Him, ACH

God bless you guys. I have been using Laridian Bible Software for years, and thank the Lord for the work you guys have put into creating it. I was waiting for the Android version, but decided to get the iPad primarily to read and study the bible with Laridian software. I love it; It is absolutely awesome!

Hi Craig and Jeff
Thanks for creating a wonderful and a high utility product. Ever since I bought this I have not used any other product and use it for my daily devotions. I recommend this product to my friends.
Saddened to hear about Jeff’s condition, is.nt it true that when we are inovlved in the LOrd’s work we are tested through the devil in order to obstruct God’s ministry. I will pray for his quick recovery. May the good LOrd bless you abundantly.
In Him,

Hi Jeff & Craig, my prayers not only have begun But Continue for you Jeff – I keep checking the blog for updates on your condition, hopefully we in the Laridian community can stay apprised of how you are – God Bless All of You

Just read this blog. I will most definitely keep Jeff in my prayers. May God continue to bless you both, and all of the great people who support you and help you put out such a great product. I have been tremendously blessed by Pocket Bible!

Will be praying for all of you! My wife is a cancer survivor, having contracted an aggressive form of breast cancer several years ago. It usually advanced so fast that her doctor immediately took her to treatment.

So we can empathize with all of you and we will definitely be praying every day.

BTW, love your program. It rescued me from a very difficult Bible program that was making me nuts! I can jump in and get results immediately with Pocketbible. Mainly using it now on Windows since Windows 7 no longer syncs with my Dell pda that had the program on it. Looking at a compaq ipaq to be able to carry your program with me for small group study (don’t have a laptop that I could use usb stick with pocketbible). Thanks for providing such a quality product!

We hope and pray all goes well for you. If that means it takes longer to get Android software ready, so be it. The work your team has done is outstanding. The way you deliver your customer service is outstanding. I have had several Windows portable devices and have had to re-install SEVERAl times. Other companies made me jump through hoops to allow me to re-install or required me to purchase my software again. Your arrangement is MORE than fair and truly provides what others miss, real CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Craig – As a businessman who happens to be a Christian, I really appreciate your response to Tabitha’s post a few weeks ago. It’s my beilef that ALL work is sacred. We are to do everything as to the Lord. That being said, I am constantly telling my clients that I want them to come to me because they think I can do the best job for them – what a bonus that I am a brother in Christ. I would hate for anyone to think that they have to settle for less than the best just so they can help out a brother. Thank you for what you, Jeff, and crew do. Know, Jeff, that you are in our prayers. God bless, brothers!

Dear Craig and Jeff,
I am and have been a user of the Laridian PPC/iPhone Bible versions and want to express my appreciation for your efforts. As we go through this life and encounter valley experiences it is a blessing to know God is with us each step of the way. My family will continue to pray for you, Jeff knows that he is not alone. When we are ill our love ones and friends hurt as well but we know that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much. We can’t have too many praying for us.

I just read about Jeff’s cancer and I will pray for him. I wanted to try and encourage you both that you have had a big impact on my life even though we have never met nor probably will this side of Heaven. Because of Laridian I have read through the Bible about seven times. I’ve actually lost count! I continue to use Laridian daily. This year I’m reading through the New Testemant twice. Thank you for helping me along in this journey of life. God’s blessings to both of you.

I’m sorry to hear about this. We’ll put Jeff in our prayer list. I admire your Palm version of the pocketBible. It’s the only one that comes close to the Bible in paper. I can highlight it and write notes for a verse.

First of all, I will be praying for you, Jeff, and trust God will walk before you on this difficult road. I know the ravages of cancer and it can feel like life is on hold.

Secondly, I bought my first Laridian software in 2002, I think. I purchased several Bibles and Strong’s conordance and some commentaries. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the fact that even though my Palm PDA is obsolete, all my products were available on your website (at no charge) to download onto my ITouch. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!